The invention relates to a chip or smart card reading device, i.e. a contacting apparatus with reading contacts that are to be brought into contacting engagement with contact surfaces on a chip or smart card.
EP 0 316 699 shows the frame of a chip card reader in which a limiting switch (end position switch) comprising switch contacts is fastened on the frame carrying the reading contacts. From DE 42 12 150 A1, a chip card reader is further known with a limiting switch in which both the reading contacts and the switch contacts of a limiting switch are also located in a frame.
The mounting of the switch contacts in the frame carrying the reading contacts has disadvantages, in particular also during its assembly. When the switch contacts are fastened in the frame, for example by snapping them in, limitations result on account of the structural height of the frame and through the thickness of the card, in particular in that only short guide means result for the insertion of the switch contacts, which does not promote a precise mounting of the switch contacts. Due to the switch contacts present in the frame, difficulties also arise during the assembly of reading contacts into the frame, said reading contacts being adapted to be inserted into the frame from the side or injection molded. This leads to higher costs in the manufacturing of the chip card reader.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a chip card reader with a contact support and/or frame supporting reading contacts and with a cover covering the contact support and/or frame is provided, wherein the limiting switch is located in the cover. In this manner, the frame and cover can be assembled in parallel, which shortens and simplifies the assembly. This yields lower costs. Furthermore, an assembly of the reading contacts from the side into the frame is easy to implement.
It is an object of the invention to avoid the disadvantages of the prior art. It is a particular object of the invention to provide a cost-efficient chip card reader that allows a simpler assembly of the reader as a whole.
Although the invention is preferably applied to a chip card reader of the type with a frame and a cover, it is also conceivable that the measures in accordance with the invention could be provided in a chip card reader of a type wherein a lowerable sliding carriage supporting the reading contacts is provided.
Further advantages, objects and details of the invention are disclosed in the description of the preferred embodiments and the drawings.